Andros Townsend could make his Newcastle United debut in tonight’s Premier League match at Everton.
If he does, he will be wearing the No.25 shirt that the Magpies have assigned to him following his £12m January arrival from Tottenham Hotspur, where he wore No.17, and previously, the No.31 shirt.
Ironically, the player who wore No.25 at White Hart Lane was Joshua Onomah – the highly-rated teenage midfielder whose emergence into the first team arguably ended Townsend’s Spurs career.
There was the row with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner, and his unsuitability to Mauricio Pochettino’s style, but Onomah going ahead of him in the pecking order may have been the final straw for Townsend.
The England international winger now has the opportunity of a fresh start at St James’ Park, but inherits a squad number which has a less-than decorated past at Newcastle in the Premier League era.
The last player to wear the shirt was Gabriel Obertan, and before him Kazenga Lua Lua, Abdoulaye Faye, Brian Kerr, Paul Brayson and Nathan Murray. There was at least Dalglish – Paul Dalglish, mind.
If Townsend were to mark his Magpies bow at Goodison Park, where they have won just once since 2002, with a goal, that might go a long way to making him the best No.25 that Newcastle have ever had!
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